All Sun Belt Men's Basketball Team Announced

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Two Arkansas State University men’s basketball seniors, Brandon Peterson and Trey Finn plus UALR Trojan Will Neighbour have received 2012-13 All-Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Team recognition in an announcement made by the conference office.

Peterson, a 6-8 forward, is currently averaging a team-high 9.4 rebounds and a squad third-most 10.2 points per contest (297 pts.) as a starter in all 29 games this season. Peterson leads the Red Wolves this campaign in total rebounds (272), defensive rebounds (180), offensive rebounds (92), blocked shots (36), free throws made (83), and minutes played (956) while tying for top team honors in field goal percentage (.514). The 2012-13 ASU tri-captain not only has recorded 18 double-digit points and 14 double-figure rebound performances to date this season, but has produced both a squad and personal career-best 10 double-doubles.

Peterson finished the regular season third among the Sun Belt Conference leaders forconference-only games in rebounding (8.9 rpg.) while ranking fourth in field-goal percentage (.511) and tied for 10th in blocked shots (1.1 bpg.). Peterson, a SBC Player of the Week selection (2/18), currently is 12th among the conference’s all-time leaders with 857 career rebounds and his 159 blocked shots is 19th highest on the league career charts. Nationally, Peterson ranks 31st in rebounds, 38th in double-doubles, and 185th in blocked shots through games of March 3.

A native of Birmingham, Ala., Peterson is only the seventh player in A-State history to amass at least 1,000 points (1.070 pts.) and 800 rebounds (857 rebs.). Peterson, a 2012-13 All-SBC Preseason Second-Team pick, became the 25th ASU player to score 1,000 points and the eighth individual at A-State to compile 800 rebounds in a career.

Finn, who has started in 28 games played in this season, is averaging a team second-best 10.5 points an outing (293 pts.) to date while ranking second among ASU’s rebounding leaders with a 4.8 boards per game average (135 rebs.). A 6-2 guard, Finn is second on the team in free throws made (74), three-point field goals made (51), steals (39), and minutes played (932) to date. The Little Rock, Ark., native has produced double-figure points in 15 contests this season while leading or tying for top team scoring honors seven times.

Finn, a 2012-13 ASU tri-captain, closed out this regular season ranking fifth in free-throw percentage (.788) on the SBC leaders chart for conference-only games while being listed eighth in steals (1.5 spg.), 17th in scoring (11.7 ppg.), and 19th in rebounding (5.2 rpg.). The SBC Player of the Week honoree (2/4) and 2012-13 All-SBC Preseason First-Teamer earned the distinction of becoming the 24th player in the program’s history to reach the 1,000 career points milestone (1,146 pts.).

Neighbour picked up All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the second-consecutive year. Neighbour was named Third Team All-Sun Belt after leading UALR in both scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor during the 2012-13 regular season.

Neighbour ranks second on the team in both blocks (31) and steals (37), and pulled down a team-high 63 offensive boards in 31 games this season. The 6-10 forward led the Trojans in scoring a team-best 11 times and led UALR in rebounding a team-high 21 times, including 15 of the final 18 contests. Neighbour totaled five double-doubles on the season, tying him for sixth-most in the conference, recently finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with a career-best-tying three blocks in a win over Louisiana on Thursday, Feb. 28.

The Grayshott, England-native was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week on Monday, Jan. 28 after averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.0 block in UALR’s wins over Florida Atlantic and North Texas. First, Neighbour helped fuel the Trojans’ 22-point comeback against FAU on Jan. 24 by collecting his fourth double-double of the season with a career-best 24 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting. The 6-10 forward followed that up with 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high four steals in a win at North Texas on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Player of the Year

Augustine Rubit, South Alabama

Defensive Player of the Year

Bruce Massey, Middle Tennessee

Freshman of the Year

Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette

Coach of the Year

Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee

First Team All-Sun Belt Conference

Greg Gantt (Florida Atlantic, Sr., Guard)

Tymell Murphy (FIU, Jr., Forward)

Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette, So., Guard)

Marcos Knight (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)

Augustine Rubit (South Alabama, Jr., Forward)

Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference

Brandon Peterson (Arkansas State, Sr., Forward)

Stefan Moody (Florida Atlantic, Fr., Guard)

Shawn Long (Louisiana-Lafayette, Fr., Forward)

Tony Mitchell (North Texas, So., Forward)

T.J. Price (WKU, So., Guard)

Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference

Will Neighbour (UALR, Jr., Forward)

Trey Finn (Arkansas State, Sr., Guard)

Raymond Cintron (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)

Bruce Massey (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)

George Fant (WKU, So., Forward)

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